Corset and the like fastening



April 1937- A. 1 2. CANHAM 2,076,016

CORSET AND THE LIKE FASTENING Filed March 21, 1936 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES CORSET AND THE LIKE FASTENING Albert Rayner Canham, East Sheen, London, England Application March 21, 1936, Serial No. 70,131 In Great Britain April 10, 1935 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners for securing and supporting wearing apparel, particularly ladies corsets, and has for its object to provide a resilient fastening which lies flat against the body of wearer so as not to disturb the outer clothing and requires but a single operation to fasten the ends of the corset securely together.

To this end the fastening according to the invention comprises two interlocking fiat strip members of resilient material, such as steel or bone, one strip'member having oppositely disposed tongues of different lengths adapted to be engaged in spaced sockets on the other strip member by a relative sliding movement between the two members in the direction of the tongues.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, where- Figure 1 is an elevation of the fastening with the two strip members shown detached;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the fastening with the two strip members in interlocking engagement;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an alternative form of the fastening according to the invention, showing the strip members in interlocking engagement;

Figure 5 is a view showing the fastening securing and supporting a corset in position on a person; and

Figure 6 is an alternative form of the fastening according to the invention, the view showing only the socket member, the interlocking strip member being the same as shown in Figure 1.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the socket strip member consists of two separate superposed strips I, 2 which are secured together at the centre in spaced apart relation by a rivet 3 disposed near one side of the strips. At the ends of the strip 2 are provided laterally projecting flaps 4, 5

which are bent over the strip l to form the sockets. The two strips are held spaced apart at the ends adjacent the sockets by means of inturned lugs 6, 1 formed on the strip I. The interlocking strip member consists of a fiat strip 8 in the ends of which are cut longitudinal slots 9, ill to form a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal tongues II, l2 the tongue l2 being cut off shorter that the tongue II to allow the latter to be slid into the socket formed by the flap 4 and then the two strip members to be slid relatively of their length to bring the shorter tongue l2 into engagement with the socket formed by the flap 5. Thus the two members are securely interlocked as illustrated in Figure 2.

To prevent accidental displacement of the two members when so interlocked the fastening may be modified as shown in Figure 4. In this em- 5 bodiment the flap 5 is reduced in length and the shorter tongue I2 is cutaway at the bottom l3 of the adjacent longitudinal slot Ill so as to form an inwardly projecting catch I4. This catch en- I gages round the reduced flap 5 as the corset is 10 fastened round the body-the cut away portion i3 providing the necessary lateral play-and thereby prevents longitudinal relative displacements between the two members of the fastening due to exertions or movements 'of the wearer. 15

The interlocking strip member may be cut away along its length to allow room for the rivet 3, the particular feature of having the strips of the socket member secured in this way by a single rivet and the bent over flaps, permitting relative 20 longitudinal movement between the end portions of the strips I, 2 when a bending action is applied to the fastener by the wearer bending her body so that a greater resilience is thereby obtained, adding greatly to the comfort of the wearer. 25

The ends of the corset may be attached to the strip members in any convenient manner, such as by sewing or riveting, for which purpose they may be perforated to take the sewing or rivets. In the case of the interlocking strip member for ex- 30 ample, it may be slotted longitudinally as at [5 between the tongues ll, I2 to receive and secure one edge of the corset. In the case of the socket member the ends of the corset may be passed through the two strips I, 2 and sewn down. 35

- As a protection for the strip members, the ends of the corset before being attached may be wrapped round the strips thereof, the corset end, in the case of the socket member, first being passed between the strips l, 2 as indicated above. For the purpose of facilitating the fastening of the ends of the corset together on to the body of a person as shown in Figure 5 the strip 2 having the flaps may be provided with a projecting lip l6 disposed adjacent to the socket formed by the flap 4 in which the longer tongue II is inserted, this projecting lip l6 serving to guide the tongue I I into the socket. It will be noted that the strip 2 usually lies against the body of the wearer with the socket formed by the flap 4 at the top.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 6, wherein the socket member consists of the two flat strips l' and 2 which instead of being held in spaced apart relation by a rivet at the centre are connected at the ends by means of rivets l1 and 18, one of which, for example, the top rivet l1 engages in an elongated slot IS in one of the strips so as to allow for the relative longitudinal movement between the strips when a bending action is applied to the fastener. These rivets constitute the sockets into which the tongues on the interlocking strip are engaged. To enable the strips I and 2' to be assembled, the elongated slot I 9 is enlarged at the inner end.

I claim:-

1. A fastening comprising a socket member and an insertable strip for detachable interlocking cooperation with said socket member, said socket member comprising a pair of superimposed spaced apart elongated resilient strips joined together for longitudinal movement relative to each other at least at one end of the member, elements carried by at least one of the strips of the socket member and extending across the space between said strips, and tongues on said insertable strip formed for interlocking engagement with said elements by longitudinal movement of the socket member and insertable strip relative to each other following insertion of the insertable strip into the space between the strips of said socket member.

2. A fastening comprising a pair of elongated strips, one of which is provided with a pair of socket elements spaced apart longitudinally of the strip, and a pair of tongues on the other strip for interlocking cooperation with said socket elements, said tongues extending longitudinally of the last mentioned strip and having free ends directed respectively toward the ends of the strip, the distance between the outer ends of said tongues being greater than the distance between the inner ends of said socket elements and the distance between the outer end of one tongue and the inner end of the other tongue being less than the distance between the inner ends of said socket elements, whereby the tongues are engageable with and disengageable from the socket members by a, combination of longitudinal and lateral movements of the strips relative to each other.

3. A fastening comprising a pair of flat strips of resilient material, a tongue at each end of one of said strips, said tongues extending longitudinally of the strip and having free ends disposed toward the ends of the strip, respectively, the other strip having a pair of sockets spaced apart so that the distance between their inner ends is less than the distance between the outer ends of said tongues, one of said tongues being longer than the other and the distance between the free end of the shorter tongue and the inner end of the longer tongue being less than the distance between the inner ends of the sockets to permit engagement and disengagement of the tongues with and from said sockets.

4. A fastening comprising a socket member and a cooperating insertable strip, said socket member comprising a pair of joined together superimposed spaced apart elongated resilient strips, a pair of members each carried by at least one of said strips and extending across the space therebetween at points spaced apart longitudinally of said socket member, and a pair of tongues carried by said insertable strip for interlocking engagement with said members by insertion of said insertable strip between the strips of said socket member and subsequent longitudinal movement of the socket member and the insertable strip relative to each other first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

5. A fastening comprising a socket member and a cooperating insertable strip, said socket member comprising a pair of superimposed spaced apart elongated strips, means connecting said strips together intermediate their ends, flaps spaced apart longitudinally of said strips and extending from one of said strips across the space between said strips and overlying the other strip holding the strips against relative outward movement at their ends and permitting them to slide longitudinally relative to each other at their ends, and a pair of tongues on the insertable strip extending longitudinally thereof and having free ends respectively facing the ends of said insertable strip and spaced apart for in'-. terlocking engagement with said flaps by insertion of the insertable strip between the strips of the socket member and subsequent relative longitudinal movement of the socket member and the insertable strip first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

6. A fastening as set forth in claim 1 in which one of the strips of the socket member is provided with a tongue to facilitate insertion of the insertable strip into the space between the strips of the socket member.

7. A fastening as set forth in claim 5 in which one of the strips of the socket member provided with lugs disposed between the strips of said socket member to hold said strips spaced apart.

8. A fastening as set forth in claim 2 including means to hold the socket member and the insertable strip against relative longitudinal movement when the tongues are interlocked with the sockets.

ALBERT RAYNER CANHAM. 

